If you are the moderator of a women’s group, you will come across multiple instances that require creative and critical thinking. For instance, a member might have a problem that she hopes the group will help her solve, or the group might wish to discuss and analyze a book or movie. Regardless of the reason behind the need, there are a few techniques that can help in stimulating creative thinking.

Brainstorming is one of the best ways to stimulate creative thinking and it’s fun. Brainstorming is really a method of generating ideas, while judgment is put on hold.

Practically speaking, when you start to brainstorm, one person must be designated to take notes. Members can volunteer for this position, or they may be assigned the note-taker position on a revolving basis. It helps to have a stand up easel or pad and colorful magic markers so that the note-taker can write everything down for all to see.

In order to brainstorm, a playful environment must be created to stimulate the creative ideas. Even if the topic at hand is something very serious, refrain from getting bogged down or trying to be very somber. Playfulness stimulates creativity, so create the right environment – have some snacks on hand and make sure the seating is comfortable.Read more...

If you are considering starting a women’s group, you might contemplate starting a self-help group for women.

As women, we all face stressful situations daily and want the most out of our lives. What better way to empower other women than to start a self-help group.

Although the name might sound a bit “new age”-ish, a self-help or personal development group for women is really just a way for women to get the most out of their lives. It’s a way for women to come together to improve their situation through discussion and activities. Even if you don’t want to start a group that is solely about personal development, you might want to incorporate some self-help issues into your meetings. Read more...

Use the word “negotiate” with women and you will see a lot of discomfort surface up. Women haven’t yet learned the art of negotiation. The opposite holds true more often with “compromise” as women are subtly encouraged to compromise rather than negotiate. There is a big difference between the two.

If you review the definitions of compromise and negotiate, you can perceive similarities between the two, yet they are different in their application.

Compromise – to adjust or settle by mutual concessions; to come to agreement by mutual concession; to find or follow a way between extremes. Read more...

Whether you are someone with a full, active life or with very little going on in your everyday life, you likely feel like there is something missing from your days. For many women, that hole can be filled by being a part of a women’s group. So if you have a void in your life, why not be proactive and start a women’s group of your own?

Although it may feel safe and easier to simply find a women’s group that is already in existence, you will gain so much more by starting your own group from scratch. What will you gain? Read more...

One’s personality is made of different traits and behaviors that when combined make each of us unique. It’s our own fingerprint – how people know us, how they experience our presence in this world.

All groups benefit from having different types of personalities participating. This helps to create a strong group. For example if you only have quiet people, your group will never get off the ground. In contrast, if everyone’s a talker, there can be pandemonium! Talkers and quiet personalities need to find a balance. The talker needs to be aware of others in the group and the quiet ones may need to take a risk, step up, and participate. Read more...

Over the years our women’s group has discussed many exciting topics, yet at the last meeting the topic of “gossiping” initiated interesting and energized responses. We even got out an old-fashioned, giant-sized dictionary to locate the definition of gossip.

To jumpstart our discussion, we were provided with an article entitled “7 Tips for Giving up Gossip” by Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, “The Truth About Gossip”.

Dictionary.com definition
gossip: 1. idle talk or rumor, esp. about the personal or private affairs of others: the endless gossip about Hollywood stars. 2. light, familiar talk or writing. 3. a person given to tattling or idle talk. Read more...

Do I really want to start a women’s group? This may be a question you’re struggling with. Why not just join a pre-existing group? Why not find something tried and true already out there? The answers to all of these questions truly depend on what you’re looking to accomplish by being involved in such a group.

Chances are that if you’re seeking to be a part of a women’s group, you feel there’s something missing from your life. It could simply be female camaraderie. It might be that you have a particular interest but need an avenue in which to fulfill it. Read more...

Many people joke about how when women get together they can become jealous, competitive and “catty”. Such a negative stereotype certainly ignores the incredible bond and sisterhood that women generally share with each other.

Women experience so many things in life that are common across the board and tend to be common across different cultures and even across age ranges. This is why forming a women’s group can be something amazing for virtually every type of woman out there. Read more...